Boeing Airborne Laser Team Achieves First Flight

Posted on: Dec. 6th, 2004 || Source: boeing.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 3, 2004 – The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Airborne Laser (ABL) team flew an aircraft equipped with the integrated battle management and Beam Control/Fire Control (BC/FC) systems for the first time at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Dec. 3.

Boeing is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the ABL weapon system, which places a megawatt-class, high-energy Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser on a Boeing 747-400F aircraft to detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles in the boost phase of flight. ABL also can pass information on launch site, target track and predicted impact to other layers of the global ballistic missile defense system.

“This is a significant technological achievement in the ABL program and demonstrates the continued steady flow of progress we've been making.” said Jim Evatt, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.

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